Visual Thesaurus : Behind the Dictionaryhttp://www.visualthesaurus.com/cm/dictionary/?utm_source=rss
Lexicographers Talk About LanguageCopyright 2015, Thinkmap Inc. All Rights Reserved.enMon, 23 Feb 2015 00:00:00 ESThttp://www.visualthesaurus.com/images/common/logo_on_white.gifVisual Thesaurus : Behind the Dictionaryhttp://www.visualthesaurus.com/cm/dictionary/?utm_source=rss
Geeking Out On "Fleek"Behind the Dictionaryhttp://www.visualthesaurus.com/cm/dictionary/geeking-out-on-fleek?utm_source=rss
Over the weekend, The New York Times presented an interactive quiz on newly prominent slang terms entitled "Are You On Fleek?" But what does "on fleek" mean, and how did it get to be such a trendy expression, especially on social media? Our resident linguist Neal Whitman investigates.Mon, 23 Feb 2015 00:00:00 ESThttp://www.visualthesaurus.com/cm/dictionary/geeking-out-on-fleek"Tradecraft" Infiltrates the LanguageBehind the Dictionaryhttp://www.visualthesaurus.com/cm/dictionary/tradecraft-infiltrates-the-language?utm_source=rss
Tradecraft, which has been spy jargon since at least the 1960s, has been making its way into more mainstream consciousness recently, as we hear about operations like the search for Osama bin Laden, or about Edward Snowden's training as a spy. It's a good example of how words with seemingly transparent meanings can settle into semantic idiosyncrasy through historical circumstance.Fri, 20 Jun 2014 00:00:00 EDThttp://www.visualthesaurus.com/cm/dictionary/tradecraft-infiltrates-the-languageDays of Future Past, Past of Future DaysBehind the Dictionaryhttp://www.visualthesaurus.com/cm/dictionary/days-of-future-past-past-of-future-days?utm_source=rss
Days of Future Past: It's not just the subtitle of the new X-Men movie that recently opened; it's an invitation to explore some of the lesser-traveled corridors in the English verb tense system.Fri, 06 Jun 2014 00:00:00 EDThttp://www.visualthesaurus.com/cm/dictionary/days-of-future-past-past-of-future-daysHistory in the Toolbox: The Vocabulary of Electrical UnitsBehind the Dictionaryhttp://www.visualthesaurus.com/cm/dictionary/history-in-the-toolbox-the-vocabulary-of-electrical-units?utm_source=rss
I am guessing that the average electrician doesn't realize how much history is knocking about in his or her toolbox. Volt, amp, ohm, watt—these electrical units are all eponyms, derived from the names of pioneers in the field. Let's have a tour.Wed, 21 May 2014 00:00:00 EDThttp://www.visualthesaurus.com/cm/dictionary/history-in-the-toolbox-the-vocabulary-of-electrical-unitsDon't Suffix Me, Bro: Rise of the DudebroBehind the Dictionaryhttp://www.visualthesaurus.com/cm/dictionary/dont-suffix-me-bro-rise-of-the-dudebro?utm_source=rss
Once upon a time, fellas, gentleman, and guys roamed the land. Eventually, we become dudes. Unfortunately, many of us became bros. Bro is also a staple of word-making. Based on sheer prolificness, bro may be the affix of the decade.Wed, 30 Apr 2014 00:00:00 EDThttp://www.visualthesaurus.com/cm/dictionary/dont-suffix-me-bro-rise-of-the-dudebroWhat Turns Up When You Look Into "Turn Up"Behind the Dictionaryhttp://www.visualthesaurus.com/cm/dictionary/what-turns-up-when-you-look-into-turn-up?utm_source=rss
As I was searching Twitter while writing last month's column on bae, I occasionally found tweets saying things like, "Gonna turn up tonight with my bae!" Now why would someone find it newsworthy to announce that they were simply going to appear somewhere? Of course, not everything people tweet is newsworthy, but still, why such excitement over simply showing up?Fri, 25 Apr 2014 00:00:00 EDThttp://www.visualthesaurus.com/cm/dictionary/what-turns-up-when-you-look-into-turn-up"Bae" Watch: The Ascent of a New Pet NameBehind the Dictionaryhttp://www.visualthesaurus.com/cm/dictionary/bae-watch-the-ascent-of-a-new-pet-name?utm_source=rss
Having associated the interjection boo with ghosts since childhood, it took me a while to get used to it as a term of endearment for one's (presumably living) significant other. However, it's been around long enough by now that some of you may well have grown up with it. But never mind boo: it's time to get ready for bae, the latest monosyllabic pet name starting with B.Thu, 27 Mar 2014 00:00:00 EDThttp://www.visualthesaurus.com/cm/dictionary/bae-watch-the-ascent-of-a-new-pet-nameIs Your Bestie Sciencey? Celebrating the Cutesiest SuffixBehind the Dictionaryhttp://www.visualthesaurus.com/cm/dictionary/is-your-bestie-sciencey-celebrating-the-cutesiest-suffix?utm_source=rss
The Oxford English Dictionary's recent quarterly update added, as usual, as assortment of terms from all over the map. These included ethnomathematics, honky-tonker, honor code, exfoliator, bookaholic, over-under, wackadoo, and the even wackier wackadoodle. But the entry that really caught my eye was bestie, an affectionate term for a best friend.Wed, 19 Mar 2014 00:00:00 EDThttp://www.visualthesaurus.com/cm/dictionary/is-your-bestie-sciencey-celebrating-the-cutesiest-suffixNobody Likes a Whistleblower (or a Wrayer, Quadruplator, or Emphanist)Behind the Dictionaryhttp://www.visualthesaurus.com/cm/dictionary/nobody-likes-a-whistleblower-or-a-wrayer-quadruplator-or-emphanist?utm_source=rss
A law firm that specializes in defending whistleblowers has started a petition on Change.org to persuade dictionaries and thesauruses to ditch their derogatory synonyms for whistleblower in favor of positive terms.Mon, 24 Feb 2014 00:00:00 ESThttp://www.visualthesaurus.com/cm/dictionary/nobody-likes-a-whistleblower-or-a-wrayer-quadruplator-or-emphanist"Twizzle" Gets BusyBehind the Dictionaryhttp://www.visualthesaurus.com/cm/dictionary/twizzle-gets-busy?utm_source=rss
Meryl Davis and Charlie White made history this week as the first Americans ever to win the Olympic gold medal in ice dancing. But for language watchers, an even more interesting question than who would take first place was this: What's a twizzle?Thu, 20 Feb 2014 00:00:00 ESThttp://www.visualthesaurus.com/cm/dictionary/twizzle-gets-busy